Top 6 Reasons Why We Don’t Recommend Customer Supplied Parts

Posted on 10/30/2014

Top 6 Reasons Why We Don’t Recommend Customer Supplied Parts

Though it’s a rare occurrence, sometimes we have customers come in with set repairs in mind and with parts already in hand. “Here,” the customers will typically say as they hand the parts over, “use these to fix my car.” We have a big problem with that type of service. Actually, we have six big problems with it. Before you go out and shop for your own automotive parts, you might want to read the following reasons why we don’t recommend it.

1. Business Model Doesn’t Support It

If we allowed every customer to bring in their own parts, we wouldn’t be allowed to remain open for very long. Our shop earns a profit on the parts we supply. It would be like going into a restaurant with your own meat, vegetables and eggs and telling the owner, “Here, use these instead to prepare my meal.” The restaurant wouldn’t be open for very long if every customer did that, and it’s the same with automotive service. Let us supply the parts so that we can continue to offer you quality automotive service long into the future.

2. Quality Control

A big reason why we don’t like to work with customer-supplied parts is because we can’t be sure that they’re any good. Many consumers find aftermarket parts online and think they’re being smart by saving a few dollars. Yet using subpar parts (which aftermarket parts usually are) will increase your odds of returning to our shop, thus costing you more money and time in the long run.

3. Aftermarket Parts Keep You Coming Back

Many aftermarket parts come from China and while they may look and feel like genuine parts, they hardly ever perform like the real thing. Aftermarket parts are cheaper because they’re made from flimsier materials and they simply won’t last as long as a quality Volkswagen or Audi parts, period. Aftermarket parts keep you coming back. And while we do love seeing your face, we’d rather complete the service request properly the first time, thus saving you time and money.

4. We Can’t Offer You a Parts Warranty

Parts supplied by Dubwerx automatically come with the Dubwerx 3-Year/36,000-Mile Warranty on repairs for Volkswagen vehicles and Audi automobiles. With customer-supplied parts you’re left on your own and if those parts break, you’ll have to buy more out of pocket.

5. Lowest Price Usually Loses

Again, most customers supply their own parts in an effort to save money. When it comes to automotive service, you truly do get what you pay for. As Forrest Gump might say, “Lowest-priced parts are like a box of chocolate. You never know what you’re gonna get.”

6. We Haven’t Completed Diagnostics

With customer-supplied parts, the customer usually has a set repair in mind. If a customer brings in a timing belt kit, how do we really know the timing belt is the issue? What if the timing belt malfunctioning is actually caused by something else? Before you bring in aftermarket or other consumer-supplied parts, let us perform a full diagnostics workup to determine the true cause of the issue. With a thorough diagnosis and the best parts that were made strictly for your automobile – and with our service warranty to boot – you will experience true and complete automotive service designed to save you time, money and loads of frustration.